Ripples and Waves
by Arianna15
Summary: What if Elena had a twin sister? How much can one person change the Vampire Diaries universe? How much can Alex affect the inhabitants of Mystic Falls? Starts from season one.
1. Pilot Part 1

**Ripples and Waves**

**AN: This story centers on how much Elena having a twin sister might impact the Vampire Diaries universe. Certain aspects might be AU eventually, but for now it adheres to the episode guidelines pretty much spot one. Read and enjoy, if you guys like it I will post more. Tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, but I do love to live in its universe and would ask that the CW kindly not sue me for that. I do own Alex though, and I am rather proud to have her.**

I woke up to the sound of Aunt Jenna yelling up the steps for me to wake up. My mother used to wake me up by pulling my curtains open, but of course, those days are over.

I sigh and push the covers back from my body preparing to face yet another day of platitudes from people I barley know and who barley know me anymore.

"Alex, get up! Bonnie's going to be here in ten minutes and I don't want to be late." Elena pounds on my door as she yells this. I roll my eyes at Elena's demanding tone but force an, "I'm up," form my mouth just so she doesn't yell anything more at me.

I don't really have any true desire to get out of bed but I do because our family can only handle one difficult child and Jeremy is currently fulfilling that role. As much as I would love to light up to deal the way he does, puffing the magic dragon is just not a viable option for me, I'm not that selfish. But I guess everyone deals with grief in his or her own way; Elena journals, I blast music until I can't hear myself think and Jeremy favors pot.

I glance at the mirror as I enter the bathroom my twin and I are share and am surprised to see I don't look to bad for not showering. I throw my hair up in a messy bun because people usually differentiate between Elena and me by our hair and she always wears hers down. I then grab whatever smells clean from my floor which is currently looking like jeans and a Nirvana tee-shirt.

When I finally make it downstairs I see Jenna frantically trying to make breakfast. I love my aunt, but she really hasn't gotten the hang of this whole guardian thing yet.

"Toast! I can make toast," Jenna says while scrambling around the kitchen.

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." Elena replies.

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy asks.

"Screw coffee, I'm just gonna have a Coke." I say.

Even though we're all fine Jenna is still frantic.

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?" She offers.

Elena and I decline but Jeremy takes some cash that I suspect won't be spent on lunch.

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" Elena asks.

"I'm meeting with my thesis adviser at...now. Crap!"

"Just go already. Really, Aunt Jenna, we'll be fine. Right, Elena?" I say.

"Totally and completely," she agrees.

The ride with Bonnie is pretty uneventful aside from the large crow that collided into the windshield. Bonnie spewed some nonsense about her grams telling her she's a witch and then proceeded to make some skewed predictions. I love Bonnie and I know I need to try to be some semblance of happy, but instead of really trying, I do the easy thing put my headphones on and let John Lennon's voice attempt to make sense of the world for me.

We arrive at school and I'm pulled out of my Beatles induced peace by Elena and Bonnie discussing current hot guys.

"Major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly bitch. She looks a hot- Can I still say 'tranny mess'?" Bonnie asks.

"No, that's over." Elena says

"Ah, find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year."

We all see Matt glance at us and then quickly turn away. I feel bad for the poor bastard. Elena dropped that boy like yesterday's freaking paper when our parents died I get why she did it, but he just looked so pathetic that I felt bad for him.

"He hates me." Elena states.

"Look, I get why you did what you did, but remember you did dump that poor bastard and ignore all his phone calls. He's within his rights to be a little sad if not a little angry." I reply.

She sighs but doesn't otherwise reply and we all see Caroline heading toward us. I love the girl and she really is my best friend but she can be really tactless sometimes.

"Elena, Alex, oh my God, how are you? Oh, it's so good to see you." She says hugging us both then she turns to Bonnie: "How are they? Are they good?"

I laugh a little then say, "Yes, Caroline, the aforementioned 'they' are good. And don't worry I have no plan to not be 'good' anytime soon...so no need to walk on eggshells, okay?"

Caroline nods then leads me away and tells me about how I really should get some better clothes and I just laugh and nod because Caroline telling me to get new clothes is normal and normal is just what I need.

I made all the way through the day even though I spent most of it with my headphones in. I love wearing headphones because they really are the last acceptable way of saying 'I don't want to talk to anyone'.

After school I head to the graveyard to visit mom and dad and end up running into Elena doing the exact same thing, weird how that happens, I suspect twin telepathy.

"Hey," I greet her and she closes her journal.

"Hey, where you looking for me?" she asks.

"No, I guess we just ended up in the same place. Twin thing, I guess."

She shrugs and agrees, "Must be."

"Gotta love graveyard ambiance this scene just wouldn't be complete without the creepy crow."

She laughs then says, "You'll never guess what happened to me today."

"Enlighten me," I reply.

"I followed Jeremy into the bathroom to yell at him because he was totally stoned, but when I came out, I ran into the totally hot new guy and it was totally awkward and super embarrassing."

I laugh at her misery because that's the kind of sisters we are, the kind that laugh at each other's embarrassing stories.

"Sucks, man. That could only happen to you."

"Don't I know it." She heaves an exasperated sigh and leans against the headstone. Then we both laugh.

"Was he really hot?" I ask.

"Only majorly," she replies.

We laugh again and then I say, "I'm going home. You want a ride?"

"No thanks, I think I'm going to stay a little longer."

"Okay, just don't stay too long," I say.

Even though I said I was going home I don't really feel like it so instead I just drive around with Hole's "Live Through This" album playing, something about the anger in Courtney Love's voice always soothes away my grief. I eventually end up at The Grill because there are really only a few locations in Mystic Falls and The Grill has a wondrous penchant for serving minors.

I sit down with Bonnie and Caroline just in time for Matt to come over and ask about Elena.

"How's Elena doing?"

He asks the table but it feels directed at me so I answer honestly: "She's doing shitty - shittily? -No, I'm going with shitty as the correct term- anyway, she's putting up a good front, but yeah, life's no bowl of chocolates. Just give her time; she doesn't like seeing you unhappy either."

Right then, with the perfect timing only my sister could posses, Elena walks in with some guy who I'm guessing is Awkward-Hot-Bathroom-Guy. He is hot, dressed in a black leather jacket and dark jeans, but he's not my type. Besides, Elena has basically already invoked the sacred sisterhood dibs rule by bringing him to diner with her, so it's cool.

"Yeah, more time, huh?" Matt says then stalks off.

Elena and Awkward-Hot-Bathroom-Guy who introduces himself as Stephen then Caroline begins an inquisition that could rival the Spaniards.

"So, you were born in mystic falls?" Caroline asks.

"Mm-Hmm. I moved when I was still young."

"Parents?"

"My parents passed away." I feel an immediate rush of empathy toward Stephen and I can tell Elena does too.  
"I'm sorry. Any siblings?" Elena says.

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow." Caroline says and I feel bad for her because it is obvious that she is trying to flirt with Stephen and he seems to be only interested in Elena.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls." Bonnie supplies.  
"Are you going?" Stephan asks Elena.  
"Of course she is. In fact, we all are" She says eying both Elena and me, daring us to correct her.

Elena laughs a little and replies, "Looks like it."

**Love it? Hate it? Meh about it? I want to know, so drop me a line.**


	2. Pilot Part 2

**Ripples and Waves**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire diaries and I am in no way affiliated with anyone who does. This is all for my own fun. **

When I arrive at the beach party the next day I head over toward the drinks to see if they have anything other than beer. I am no fan of beer but Jack Daniels and I have a sordid love affair so when I see a bottle of Jack I just take the whole thing. It's not like I'm going to drink it all though; tipsy is fun, drunk and slurring, not so much.

I see Elena and Bonnie and join their conversation about the crush-worthy Stephan.

"People look up to me; I have to set an example." Elena says.

"Just admit it, Elena." Bonnie replies.

"Oh, ok, so he's a little pretty."

"More like a lot." I interject, "Also- sidebar- Stefan is the very same Awkward-Hot-Bathroom-Guy?" I ask.

"Yes, he is, and thank you, Alex, for reminding me of that awesomely embarrassing moment."

I throw my arm around her while still holding my bottle of Jack and reply, "Tis' what sisters are for."

She laughs and then Bonnie looks at me and then looks at the bottle of Jack and says, "Alex, please tell me you are not going to down that whole thing."

"No, rest assured, I'm much too much of a light weight for that. I'm just holding it because I don't want any of these bastards to steal my Jack."

"Your Jack that you didn't bring?" Elena asks.

"Yet of course, I stole it so it's mine and I don't want anyone to steal it back."

"Okay then," Elena says.

I nod and then the conversation turns back to Stefan so I head out to find Caroline. I don't have to search long and I hear her before I see her.

"Hey! You made it!" I hear the sound of Caroline's voice and assume she's talking to me, but she isn't she's talking to Stefan.

"I did." Stefan replies.

"Well, let's get you a drink."

"Well, I'm-"

"Oh, come on."

I see them go to get drinks and then see Stefan go to talk to Elena so I head over to see Caroline.

"Why is it never me?" she asks when I walk up to her, "Why does every hot guy go for Elena?" Caroline asks.

"Caroline, I'm her identical twin sister. I've been trying to work that conundrum out for years." I reply and she smiles a little so I think I've accomplished something. She then complains that I showed up to a party in jeans and a tank top so I know she's feeling better.

"Let's go for a walk or something." I say taking a swig form my Jack Daniels.

She agrees and we head for the woods surrounding the beach. We walk for a while until Caroline says she won't drink anymore Jack and goes to get beer.

I wait for a little while with my headphones in and enjoy the peace of the woods until I'm brought out of reprieve by an extremely hot guy dressed in all black.

"You know," He says, "it's not safe for a girl like yourself to be out late at night with the animal attacks that keep happening."

I'm startled by him and slightly freighted because I'm alone in the woods with a guy I've never met or seen, but I mask my surprise and fear and in a bored tone ask, "And why would a man such as yourself worry about things like my safety?"

"I'm always worried about the safety of pretty women." He replies.

"Ewe, seriously, man, I'm so not interested. Please take your sleaze-ball comments elsewhere."

"What's your name?" he asks,

"Like I'm going to tell you," I say but he steps closer and stares into my eyes and asks again and for some unknowable reason I tell him.

"My name is Alex Gilbert." I say and hate myself while I'm saying it.

"Let me bite your neck." He commands, and I sweep hair from my neck so he can even though every nerve in my body is telling me not to. But our conversation is interrupted when the sound of Elena's screams pierces the air. I turn away from him and try to run toward my sister but he quickly grabs me and stares into my eyes and says, "You will forget everything that has happened between you and me." Then he's gone.

I shake my head feeling like there is some kind of fog in it but then I remember that I heard Elena scream and I run toward the sound. When I get to Elena I see her and Jeremy crowded around Vicki Donavan's body which is lying motionless on the ground.

"Oh, my God, what happened?!" I ask

"We don't know. Jeremy, go get help." She says.

The paramedics arrive shortly after and Matt goes with them. I'm about to just walk home when I spot Jeremy and Elena.

"You ok? I called Jenna, she's on her way." She tells both of us then she turns her gaze toward Jeremy who is still holding a beer and says, "Those people in uniforms, last time I checked, they're the police."

"People are going to stop giving you breaks, Jer. They just don't care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead, because they've got their own lives to deal with. The rest of the world has moved on. You should try, too."

"That's a little harsh, Elena, no one's really moved on. We're all just coping, if Jeremy wants to destroy his liver in the process that's his business." I say.

It's not like I really approve of Jeremy being drunk, but drunk is better than high and I really don't think Jeremy wants Elena on his case right now.

Jeremy tosses me a look of appreciation and Elena says, "This is not how Mom and Dad would have wanted it."

I know she's right but I'm tired of dealing with everything, so I find Caroline who's a little tipsy and we walk the short distance to the grill.

"Are you okay?" She asks when we sit down.

"I'm fine, just feeling a little foggy" I say, although I don't know how I really feel about finding Vicki like that, it was pretty disturbing. What's really bothering me most though is that I feel like I've forgotten something and it's wading in my subconscious just below the surface but I can't seem to grasp it.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I just wish for once the new hot guy would go for me."

"Would it make you feel better if I promised to help you find a new hot guy?"

She smiles and tells me yes and I call a cab to take both her and me home.

**Stefan's POV**

I run home from the beach party with the knowledge that there is another vampire in Mystic Falls and that the other vampire is probably Damon.

I don't have to wait long for this thought to be confirmed because as I enter my room I hear the very voice I dread speak, "Hello, brother."

"Damon," I reply, "Crowe's a bit much don't you think?"

"Wait till you see what I can do with the fog." He says.

"When did you get here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school. Your hair's different. I like it."

"It's been fifteen years, Damon, why are you here?"

"I miss my little brother."

"You hate small towns, Damon, there's nothing for you to do here."

"I've managed to keep myself busy." Damon says, and I worry just what that implies.

"Why are you here?" I ask again.

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into three little words: Elena and Alex."

"Stay away from them, Damon, they aren't Katherine."

"Oh, I know that. But they do look tasty don't they?"

"Stay away from them, Damon."

"Sorry, brother, I can't do that."

**AN: What did you think?**


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